Inside
- The Detroit Tigers fire general manager Al Avila (below)
- Opinion:Should the Tigers fired the owner in addition to Avila? My column below left
- Kevin Harvick breaks 65-race drought, wins Cup race at Michigan (Below)
- Newest The Double Eagle Podcast (MGS Pg.)
- NHRA Exclusive- Ron Capps on his 2022 season and added duties as a team owner (Motorsports Pg.)
- Feld Motor Sports and MX Sports Pro Racing Partner to Form the Super Motocross World Championship
(Motorsports.) - NHRA -News and Notes (Motorsports Pg.)
- Column: NASCAR revamps to get more fans to MIS (Below)
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Martin Truex Jr. pulls off first NASCAR Cup Series win at Phoenix RacewayBy Holly Cain
Martin Truex Jr. overcame an early-race brush with the wall and took the lead on the final restart with 25 laps remaining to earn his first victory of 2021 and first in 31 career starts at Phoenix Raceway. Truex‘s No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota ultimately held off Joey Logano‘s No. 22 Penske Racing Ford by a convincing 1.698-seconds for the win in the Instacart 500. The 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion Truex took the race lead from the outside on a bold restart move — pulling away in the closing laps of a spirited race that featured 22 lead changes. Truex, 40, of New Jersey, is now the fifth different winner in as many NASCAR Cup Series races this season joining Michael McDowell, Christopher Bell, William Byron and Kyle Larson who have also earned spots in the playoffs. “Just an awesome job by everybody, (crew chief) James (Small), all the pit crew guys fixing it, just really solid,” said Truex, who now has 28 career wins. “At the beginning of the race I thought we were going to run 15th or so. Man, I just really can‘t believe it. I‘m kind of speechless. “This feels pretty amazing. Phoenix has been a tough one for us. “I wish it was November and I was in the final four,” he added with a smile, referring to the season championship finale at Phoenix Raceway later in the year. “Just so thankful and proud of everyone at JGR, everyone who makes this possible.” Statistically, Logano‘s Ford was the dominant car on the afternoon, leading a race best 143 of the 312 laps and winning Stage 2 — his first stage win of the year. His Penske teammate Ryan Blaney won Stage 1 (also his first stage victory of 2021) and all three Penske Racing cars finished in the top 10. In all, the Penske trio of Logano, Blaney and Keselowski combined to lead 197 laps — out front 63 percent of the day. Logano started alongside Truex on the front row for the final restart and mounted a challenge for the lead, but he couldn‘t hold off Truex even with a more favorable inside starting position. “I was surprised he was able to hang with me on that (final) start,” a disappointed Logano conceded of Truex‘s winning move. “He had a good start, too, but I had a good one on the bottom and I thought might have short-cut it on the dogleg and I thought, boy I might have him cleared. Then we went into that corner still door-to-door and when you‘re door-to-door, the outside car has control. “I‘m pretty sure even if I beat him even on that start he was still going to hound me and probably get by me. They had the best car. We had a good car for sure, but once they tuned it in toward the second stage, it was the best car on the race track.” RELATED: Joey Logano says second place ‘hurts’ Truex‘s JGR teammate Denny Hamlin was third, followed by Logano‘s teammate Brad Keselowski and last November‘s Phoenix winner Chase Elliott in fifth. Kevin Harvick, a nine-time Phoenix winner, was sixth, earning his fourth top-10 finish in the season‘s opening five races. Last week‘s Las Vegas winner Kyle Larson was seventh, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron was eighth followed by JGR driver Christopher Bell and Blaney to round out the top 10. Even without the victory, it was an impressive showing for the three Hendrick Motorsports cars that rallied to top-10 finishes. Elliott, Larson and Byron all had to start from the rear of the field on Sunday. And the fourth Hendrick car, driven by Alex Bowman, was equally resilient with a 13th place finish despite hitting the wall and bringing out an early race caution flag. RELATED: Early trouble for Alex Bowman at Phoenix Larson, in particular put on a lesson in resiliency. He rallied to race among the top 10 — even lead a lap — a third of the way into the race but was sent back to the rear of the lead lap cars twice after that because of pit road speeding violations. Hamlin, Keselowski and Logano — all still looking for their first 2021 wins — are 1-2-3 in the championship standings with Hamlin holding a 39-point edge over Keselowski as the series heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway for next weekend‘s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Note: The race winning No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Martin Truex Jr. passed NASCAR‘s post-race technical inspection. The No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet (Kurt Busch), the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (Kyle Busch) and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (William Byron) all had one lug nut safe and secure, while the No. 2 Team Penske Ford (Brad Keselowski) and the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet (Daniel Suarez) had two lug nuts not safe and secure. Tom Daugherty Wins First Major Title in Guaranteed Rate PBA World Championship Defeats Jakob Butturff in the championship match to win $100,000Tampa, Fla.—No. 1 seed Tom Daugherty rolled a 263 game in the title match to win the Guaranteed Rate PBA World Championship for his third career PBA Tour title and first major. In the highest scoring match of the stepladder finals, Daugherty and third seed Jakob Butturff combined to roll 18 strikes, 10 of which belonged to Daugherty on the way to a six-pin margin of victory.
“To shoot 260 to win a major is just awesome,” said Daugherty, whose most recent title came in the 2016 PBA Wolf Open. “I felt a little snake bitten on TV. I knew I needed to keep getting there to give myself more opportunities. Finally, I broke through with one.” The first to finish the match, Daugherty needed two strikes and four pins in the 10th frame to shut out Butturff and clinch victory. His first strike was exactly what he wanted to do. The next one, he admits, required luck as he rolled the 2 pin to strike and, after a nine count on the fill ball, ultimately win. “You always want to shut your guy out,” said Daugherty. “Getting the first one was key and I threw the best shot I possibly could. I aced it. I lost control of the second one. I realized it was the moment that would make me a major champion and everything started to speed up. It was my worst shot of the match, but I had the right ball in the right part of the lane and I got lucky.” Daugherty’s second strike in the 10th frame was his ninth consecutive strike of the match. Butturff bowled a clean game and rolled the back seven strikes in an effort to win his second major, but fell six pins short. Tuesday and Wednesday, Daugherty will compete in match play for the PBA Chameleon Championship and PBA Scorpion Championship, giving him two more opportunities to win at the World Series in his native Tampa. “I get to bowl in my hometown in one of my favorite centers,” said Daugherty. “I’m going to try to make the most of it.” Guaranteed Rate PBA World Championship Final Standings AMF University Lanes – Tampa, Fla. Tom Daugherty, earns $100,000
Match 1 – No. 4 Via def. No. 5 Troup, 210-201 Match 2 – No. 3 Butturff def. No. 4 Via, 249-227 Match 3 – No. 3 Butturff def. No. 2 Tackett, 210-178 Match 4 – No. 1 Daugherty def. No. 3 Butturff, 263-257 
Francois Lavoie beats three two-handers in PBA takedown at KIA Tournament of Champions The PBA Tournament of Champions being held near Miami had all the makings of a star-studded field making the finals, but started off curiously. Sean Rash, one of the top players on Tour today, literally could not find the pocket against Francois Lovoie striking on the Brooklyn side multiple times. Francois also had his struggles stringing strikes together, but his 3 bagger from frames five through seven dusted the wayward Rash. PBA Hall of Famer and current color commentator Randy Pederson said Rash got ball reaction like his shot had a runny nose. I agree with Pederson as Rash’s hitting power was weak and off the mark.
It is refreshing watching the classic bowling Lovoie roll like the PBA pros of the past. His ball rotation is supurb although his release is sketchy. Worked against Rash. Jesper Svensson is one of the great talents on the current PBA Tour and this lefty has the highest rev rate on tour and with a clean left side to work with, this powerful lefty was poised to roll through the field. Lavoie found out what Rash tried to avoid in game two. The oil pattern was tricky and either left right handers throwing through the nose or washing out and his opening frame six pin split left him wondering if he could find the mark. His 5th frame late knockout of a pesky nine pin gave him his first double which he extended to five consecutive strikes. Svensson used a tv break to talk to his Storm ball rep and the rep told him to “stop thinking so much and roll the ball.” Well, it worked. Lavoie, not to be outdone, finished with eight strikes in nine frames while Svensson left a split in the tenth and concluded his day with a 236-201 loss. Jason Belmonte’s record in PBA majors is unquestioned in today’s PBA. This two-hander has made every top five since 2012 save one (7th in 2017). He has the ability to pound the pocket from anywhere on the lanes and his string of strikes ( a double) in frames three and four opened the match except Belmo could not convert a 3-10 split in frame five and Lavoie saw an open door. His major 1-2-3-6-10 washout left three pins on his spare attempt. But Belmonte could never get it going. He never doubled the rest of the match and Lavoie dug deep. Anthony Simonsen finished 5th last week and this week did not look much better as he opened in the third with the 8-10 split. Lavoie looked to dust off the field with his third major title. For Simonsen, he played second arrow and it di not work for him. He played a change of the 5th arrow and plenty of loft and it made all the world of difference for him. His 8th frame 3-4-6-8-9-10 count and chop left him a second-place finish. Lavoie beat three two hand bowlers in a row at their own games. When a player can bowl methodical and take out Rash, Belmonte and Simonsen, it shows classic bowlers can still bring it home. His third major title gives him a chance at the super slam after the major season is over and nets him 100k. Kia PBA Tournament of Champions Final Standings Bowlero Jupiter – Jupiter, Fla. 1. François Lavoie, earns $100,000 2.Anthony Simonsen, $60,000 3.Jason Belmonte, $45,000 4. Jesper Svensson, $40,000 5. Sean Rash, $35,000 Match Scores Match 1 – No. 5 Lavoie def. No. 4 Rash, 225-209 Match 2 – No. 5 Lavoie def. No. 3 Svensson, 236-201 Match 3 – No. 5 Lavoie def. No. 2 Belmonte, 220-194 Match 4 – No. 5 Lavoie def. No. 1 Simonsen, 233-187 KYLE TROUP WINS PBA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP FOR FIRST CAREER MAJOR TITLE
Defeats Dick Allen in the championship match to win $250,000
Jupiter, Fla.--Top seed Kyle Troup bowled a 257 game to win the PBA Players Championship for his first career major title, defeating third seed Dick Allen in the championship match. Troup’s seventh overall PBA Tour title earned him a PBA record-tying $250,000 first-place prize. “It’s an unbelievable feeling,” said Troup. “Hard work pays off. I felt very confident in my ball reaction and the angle I was playing. I didn’t really feel nervous at all. I stayed focused and the pressure and the nerves kind of went away.” Like Troup, Allen was also seeking his first career major title. Allen defeated Tom Smallwood and François Lavoie to get to the championship match, then took an early lead over Troup. “I had two misses in the first four frames,” said Troup. “There can be some thoughts going through my head like, oh no, what’s going on here? But I just told myself to keep my mind forward and my eyes forward. Keep working, keep pushing, believe in yourself.” When Allen left a 10-pin in the seventh frame, giving Troup a one-pin advantage, Troup knew the outcome was in his hands. “I try not to pay attention to the score and just make the best shot I can make,” said Troup. “But I knew once I had that advantage and I could strike out to win, the only thing I was thinking was you don’t hope to win, you expect to win. I expected Dick Allen to strike out and force me to strike out, so I was expecting to have to throw all of them.” In the ninth frame, Allen left a 7-10 split, easing the burden on Troup. Troup struck in his half of the ninth, then clinched the title with a strike in the 10th frame. Troup was the top seed throughout every round of the PBA Players Championship. He led all East Region qualifiers through 28 games of qualifying to earn the top seed in the East Region Finals, in which he defeated Michael Davidson to advance to the PBA Players Championship Finals. Then, he led the three-game, total-pinfall seeding round held last night, rolling a 741 series to clinch a spot in the title match. “After I won the region, I went home and relaxed for a couple days,” said Troup. “Then it was time to buckle down. Keep competing. Keep practicing. A lot of self-talk and self-belief. I knew I had to go to work to take this next step in my career.” By earning his seventh career title and first major, Troup also qualifies for the first spot in the PBA Super Slam, which will feature all five 2021 major winners and air April 18 on FOX Broadcast Channel. PBA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL STANDINGSBowlero Jupiter – Jupiter, Fla.
Match 2 – No. 3 Allen def. No. 4 Smallwood, 216-195 Match 3 – No. 3 Allen def. No. 2 Lavoie, 244-227 Match 4 – No. 1 Troup def. No. 3 Allen, 257-212 
GLENN PILON WINS $2,000 FIRST PRIZE IN MDUSBC SENIOR MASTERS AT MAYFLOWER LANESGlenn Pilon of Trenton beat Larry Walker of Garden City in the finals 447-404 to win the Metro Detroit USBC (MDUSBC) Senior Masters title at Mayflower Lanes in Redford and take home the top prize of $2,000. Walker settled for the runner-up check of $1,000.
Pilon, the 2015 MDUSBC Senior Masters champion, qualified fourth with a six-game total of 1,363 including a high game of 279. He remained in the winner’s bracket with triumphs over Eric Tulley of Brighton 425-398, Gerald Johnson of Taylor 516-342, Richard Wayne of Westland 434-412 and Bo Goergen of Sanford 444-387 as he waited for Walker to emerge from the loser’s bracket. He averaged 226.8 for 16 games of competition. Walker, the 2009 MDUSBC Senior Masters champion, qualified 15th with 1,298 and a high game of 267. He won his first match over Frank Camilleri of Brownstown 488-468 before falling to Goergen 418-407 to set up a long way back to the final match. In the loser’s bracket he beat Ken Wyatt of Sterling Heights 470-418, defending champion Robert Sloma of Jenison 430-361, top qualifier Gary Duarard Jr of Livonia 383-312, Harold Sullins of Chesterfield 450-368, Jeffrey Austreng of Waterford Township 500-395, Michael Lucente of Warren 452-425 and avenged the earlier loss to Goergen 484-406 to advance to the championship match. He averaged 221.8 for 26 games. Goergen qualified second with 1,371. He remained in the winner’s bracket with victories over Walker 418-407, John Langston of Plymouth 382-354, Austreng 451-390 before losing to Pilon 444-387. He then lost to Walker 484-406 to end his day. He took home $750 for his third place finish, averaging 213.4 Lucente finished fourth for $500 after qualifying sixth with 1,341. In match play, he won his first match against Stephen Krywy of Sterling Heights 438-430 before falling into the loser’s bracket with a loss to Austreng 436-353. Once in the loser’s bracket he beat Tulley 384-353, Langston 363-306, Wayne 379-369 before losing to Walker 452-425. He averaged 204.6 for 16 games. Austreng finished fifth for $400 and averaged 214.7. Wayne finished sixth for $400 and averaged 213.3. Sullins ended up seventh for $350, averaging 207.2 and Langston took home $350 for his eighth-place finish, averaging 201.1. Jeffrey Suma Sr. of Clarkston won the Super Senior competition for non-qualifiers 60 years of age and older. He defeated Larry Wilson of Detroit 253-187 for the title. Suma won $200 for his efforts and Wilson walked away with a check for $175. Defending champion Robert Sloma finished 14th, cashing for $275 and averaging 211.7. The entire field averaged 196.3 in qualifying with the top 24 averaging 219.4. The match play average was 203. DICK ALLEN AVERAGES 270 TO WIN SOUTH REGION AND ADVANCE TO PBA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS
The #5 seed won all four matches to earn the last berth in the PBA Players Championship Finals
Jupiter, Fla.--Fifth seed Dick Allen climbed the stepladder and defeated #1 seed Jesper Svensson in the final match to win the South Region Finals. With four victories and a 270 average, Allen became the first and only player to advance to the PBA Players Championship Finals from anywhere other than the top seed. While Allen averaged 270, his opponents averaged 258. Every match led to Allen needing a clutch performance in the 10th frame to secure victory. “This is what we’re out here to do,” said Allen of bowling under pressure. “This is why we play the game. You have to control the heart rate, the blood rushing through the veins, the emotions. You get the job done and then you can celebrate. To be able to do that on this stage just feels good.” With a strike and spare to finish the opening match, Allen defeated Tom Daugherty, who started his game with the front eight, by a single pin. Allen then doubled in the 10th to get past Ryan Ciminelli by five pins. Needing a strike and six pins to win the semifinal match against Cristian Azcona, Allen rolled all three strikes for the win. In the final match, Allen needed to fill 17 pins in the 10th to defeat Jesper Svensson, then filled 28 to win the South Region. “I knew the lanes were going to be high-scoring,” said Allen. “I just did whatever I could. As the middle started to hook and the back ends started to hook some more, my point of origin stayed the same but the destination down lane changed. I tried to keep moving my eyes left, keep my speed up and stay aggressive.” Allen, who owns seven PBA Tour titles and will be looking to win his first major, joins Anthony Simonsen (West), François Lavoie (Southwest), Tom Smallwood (Central) and Kyle Troup (East) in next week’s PBA Players Championship Finals, when the five players will compete for a top prize of $250,000. “I’m going to try to stay in every match and hope I get a chance to step up in the 10th and do what I like to do,” said Allen. The PBA Players Championship Finals will air live on FOX Broadcast Channel Feb. 21. SOUTH REGION STEPLADDER FINALS RESULTSBowlero Jupiter – Jupiter, Fla.
KYLE TROUP ADVANCES TO PBA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS, CHRIS VIA BOWLS 300
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Musings of a Filterless Reporter-Column
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My take on Detroit Sports News- by Roy J. Akers
The Ally Challenge: Who is more excited, Tom Izzo to meet the Legends or the Legends to meet Izzo?
The Detroit Tigers fire general manager Al Avila
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By Brandon Day- Courtesy of SB Nation-Well the time has finally come. After seven years, Executive Vice-President of Baseball Operations and General Manager, Al Avila, has been fired by the Detroit Tigers. We had an inkling this was coming, but it’s still surprising to see that Team President Chris Ilitch has decided to make the move. The Tigers announced the move themselves on Wednesday afternoon.
© Mandi Wright/Detroit Free Press / USA TODAY NETWORKThe Detroit Tigers fire general manager Al AvilaAvila was promoted to the role in August of 2015, after the firing of long-time GM Dave Dombrowski by previous owner Mike Ilitch. Starting with his first full season in 2016, the Tigers have a record of 404-573 under Avila heading into Wednesday night’s matchup against Cleveland.
Avila’s hiring was supposed to initiate a new era in Tigers baseball. The idea was to construct a modern organization largely from scratch after the final years of big payrolls left the Tigers’ minor league system in terrible shape both in terms of players, personnel, and facilities. At the same time, Avila was to oversee the 2016 re-tooling in a final attempt to turn out another winner for Mike Ilitch. On every front things went very poorly.
A tacit admission of the fact came last summer, when Avila fired his long-time head of player development head, Dave Littlefield, beginning a major overhaul in coaches and decision-makers in the player development system. At the time, those major changes to the front office engaged speculation that Avila had bought himself a few more years to turn things around after pretty poor progress to that point. Unfortunately for Avila, his attempts to build a team with the potential to at least begin competing for a playoff spot fell badly flat this year, and the prospect capital built up through years of losing hasn’t produced the stockpile of high end young talent that was hoped as of yet.
Meanwhile, the fanbase finally reached the limits of its patience this season. Anger and frustration has been the theme of the 2022 season, and we can only hope now that brighter days are ahead.
There is no word on Avila’s replacement. A press conferrence is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. EDT with Ilitch to discuss the firing and the plan to move forward in finding the next general manager of the Detroit Tigers.
© Mandi Wright/Detroit Free Press / USA TODAY NETWORKThe Detroit Tigers fire general manager Al AvilaAvila was promoted to the role in August of 2015, after the firing of long-time GM Dave Dombrowski by previous owner Mike Ilitch. Starting with his first full season in 2016, the Tigers have a record of 404-573 under Avila heading into Wednesday night’s matchup against Cleveland.
Avila’s hiring was supposed to initiate a new era in Tigers baseball. The idea was to construct a modern organization largely from scratch after the final years of big payrolls left the Tigers’ minor league system in terrible shape both in terms of players, personnel, and facilities. At the same time, Avila was to oversee the 2016 re-tooling in a final attempt to turn out another winner for Mike Ilitch. On every front things went very poorly.
A tacit admission of the fact came last summer, when Avila fired his long-time head of player development head, Dave Littlefield, beginning a major overhaul in coaches and decision-makers in the player development system. At the time, those major changes to the front office engaged speculation that Avila had bought himself a few more years to turn things around after pretty poor progress to that point. Unfortunately for Avila, his attempts to build a team with the potential to at least begin competing for a playoff spot fell badly flat this year, and the prospect capital built up through years of losing hasn’t produced the stockpile of high end young talent that was hoped as of yet.
Meanwhile, the fanbase finally reached the limits of its patience this season. Anger and frustration has been the theme of the 2022 season, and we can only hope now that brighter days are ahead.
There is no word on Avila’s replacement. A press conferrence is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. EDT with Ilitch to discuss the firing and the plan to move forward in finding the next general manager of the Detroit Tigers.
Erik Jones Foundation gives the first of many checks for cancer research in honor of his late father
Lou Whitaker's No. 1 etched into Tigers history: 'One of the greatest moments in my life'
When Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch has a chance to teach a baseball history lesson, he takes it.
And so, Friday afternoon, he sat in the clubhouse with his pitchers — Tyler Alexander, Jason Foley, Tarik Skubal and Will Vest — talking about the weekend's upcoming ceremony.
He realized they knew Lou Whitaker, but didn't know Lou Whitaker.
So he gave them an assignment: Grab your phones, he instructed, pull up Alan Trammell on one and Whitaker on the other.
"The reason I did it is because we hold Alan Trammell in such reverence because he’s active (in the organization), he’s here with us, he instructs us, I mean there’s always a smile on our face when he comes around," Hinch said. "Lou has not been around, but he was just Alan Trammell at a different position.
"I mean if you look at his offensive profile, the five-time All-Star, the Gold Gloves, the Rookie of the Year (in 1978) — just to open the eyes of our players on what Lou meant to this franchise."
'THAT DAY WILL COME':As Detroit Tigers hail Lou Whitaker, he's ready for Hall of Fame nod
CELEBRATING GREATNESS:Reliving Lou Whitaker's greatest games with the Detroit Tigers before number retirement
The thousands of fans who lined the streets prior to Comerica Park's gates opening Saturday needed no such history lesson.
Many have personal memories of Whitaker's 19 seasons wearing the Old English "D." The sellout crowd of 40,101 (the second-largest crowd of the season) added another memory Saturday, prior to the Tigers' game against the Tampa Bay Rays — the black tarp on the wall above the bullpen in left-center coming down to reveal Whitaker's name and No. 1 permanently inscribed at Comerica Park.
No. 1 will never be worn by a Tiger again.
"This will be one of the greatest moments in my life," Whitaker said on the stage erected in the Comerica infied. "Just knowing that my number will be retired, and I have a chance to see my name on the wall with those legends from Tigers history."
It was at times hard to hear master of ceremonies Dan Dickerson, Trammell or any of the other teammates of Whitaker who shared their sentiments via a video shown on the board Saturday evening as more than 30,000 fans serenaded the field with "Looooouuuuuuuu."
But the message was clear, with Trammell — whose number was retired in 2018 soon after his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame — setting the tone.
"Yes," Trammell said when he took the mic. "Why yes? Because for four years, I've been uncomfortable. I have been extremely honored and grateful to have my No. 3 retired.
And so, Friday afternoon, he sat in the clubhouse with his pitchers — Tyler Alexander, Jason Foley, Tarik Skubal and Will Vest — talking about the weekend's upcoming ceremony.
He realized they knew Lou Whitaker, but didn't know Lou Whitaker.
So he gave them an assignment: Grab your phones, he instructed, pull up Alan Trammell on one and Whitaker on the other.
"The reason I did it is because we hold Alan Trammell in such reverence because he’s active (in the organization), he’s here with us, he instructs us, I mean there’s always a smile on our face when he comes around," Hinch said. "Lou has not been around, but he was just Alan Trammell at a different position.
"I mean if you look at his offensive profile, the five-time All-Star, the Gold Gloves, the Rookie of the Year (in 1978) — just to open the eyes of our players on what Lou meant to this franchise."
'THAT DAY WILL COME':As Detroit Tigers hail Lou Whitaker, he's ready for Hall of Fame nod
CELEBRATING GREATNESS:Reliving Lou Whitaker's greatest games with the Detroit Tigers before number retirement
The thousands of fans who lined the streets prior to Comerica Park's gates opening Saturday needed no such history lesson.
Many have personal memories of Whitaker's 19 seasons wearing the Old English "D." The sellout crowd of 40,101 (the second-largest crowd of the season) added another memory Saturday, prior to the Tigers' game against the Tampa Bay Rays — the black tarp on the wall above the bullpen in left-center coming down to reveal Whitaker's name and No. 1 permanently inscribed at Comerica Park.
No. 1 will never be worn by a Tiger again.
"This will be one of the greatest moments in my life," Whitaker said on the stage erected in the Comerica infied. "Just knowing that my number will be retired, and I have a chance to see my name on the wall with those legends from Tigers history."
It was at times hard to hear master of ceremonies Dan Dickerson, Trammell or any of the other teammates of Whitaker who shared their sentiments via a video shown on the board Saturday evening as more than 30,000 fans serenaded the field with "Looooouuuuuuuu."
But the message was clear, with Trammell — whose number was retired in 2018 soon after his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame — setting the tone.
"Yes," Trammell said when he took the mic. "Why yes? Because for four years, I've been uncomfortable. I have been extremely honored and grateful to have my No. 3 retired.
Lions HC Dan Campbell explains why he calls WR Josh Reynolds 'The Praying Mantis'
The Detroit Lions head coach Campbell went viral at training camp over the weekend when he revealed the funny nickname that he has for wide receiver Josh Reynolds — ‘The Praying Mantis.’
“He’s slippery, man,” said Campbell of Reynolds, per Lions writer Dave Birkett. “I call him ‘The Praying Mantis.’ He’s the spider of death. There’s something about him. Fricking serpent.”
Reynolds, who caught 19 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns in seven games for Detroit after being acquired in the middle of last season, definitely possesses some mantis-like qualities. He is flexible, sneaks past defenders seemingly undetected and is surprisingly deadly for his size.
“He’s slippery, man,” said Campbell of Reynolds, per Lions writer Dave Birkett. “I call him ‘The Praying Mantis.’ He’s the spider of death. There’s something about him. Fricking serpent.”
Reynolds, who caught 19 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns in seven games for Detroit after being acquired in the middle of last season, definitely possesses some mantis-like qualities. He is flexible, sneaks past defenders seemingly undetected and is surprisingly deadly for his size.
Big Ten Announces Football Preseason Honors
Nine returning All-Big Ten selections highlight this year’s list
Nine returning All-Big Ten selections highlight this year’s list
ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference announced its 2022 football preseason honors on Monday ahead of the start of Big Ten Football Media Days at Lucas Oil Stadium. A media panel selected the 10-member preseason list, with five representatives each from the East and West Divisions. Ohio State placed a trio of honorees on the East Division list highlighted by the unanimous selection of quarterback C.J. Stroud, a finalist for the Heisman Trophy last season. Stroud was joined on this year’s preseason East Division squad by a pair of Buckeye offensive standouts in running back TreVeyon Henderson and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, as well as Michigan running back Blake Corum and Michigan State wide receiver Jayden Reed. Four different schools placed students on the West Division preseason list, led by two representatives from Wisconsin in running back Braelon Allen and linebacker Nick Herbig. They were joined on the list by Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell, Northwestern offensive tackle Peter Skoronski and Purdue quarterback Aidan O’Connell. Last season, Stroud was named the Big Ten Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year, Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year and Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year. He was also a first-team All-Big Ten selection alongside Campbell and Skoronski, joining second-team selections Henderson, O’Connell and Allen, as well as third-team honorees Corum, Reed and Smith-Njigba. Seven of this year’s Big Ten preseason honorees — Campbell, Reed, Skoronski, Smith-Njigba, Stroud, O’Connell and Herbig — are scheduled to attend Big Ten Media Days this week in Indianapolis. The full list of Big Ten football preseason honorees is as follows: EAST
Blake Corum, RB, MICH
Jayden Reed, WR, MSU
TreVeyon Henderson, RB, OSU
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, OSU
C.J. STROUD, QB, OSU WEST
Jack Campbell, LB, IOWA
Peter Skoronski, OT, NU
Aidan O’Connell, QB, PUR
Braelon Allen, RB, WIS
Nick Herbig, OLB, WIS Unanimous selection in ALL CAPS
Nightengale's Notebook: MLB's first half superlatives, from MVPs to worst free agent signings
Nightengale's Notebook: MLB's first half superlatives, from MVPs to worst free agent signings
Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY
Sun, July 17, 2022 at 3:22 PMLOS ANGELES – Come on, you didn’t know the Baltimore Orioles would actually be the one of the best teams in baseball for the past month and in contention for a playoff berth?
You didn’t realize that the New York Yankees and Houston Astros would have their divisions sewn up by the All-Star break?
You didn’t have Clay Holmes as the Yankees’ All-Star closer or Nestor Cortes as an All-Star starter?
Welcome to the wacky first half of the 2022 season, a year that started late, saw three managers fired and another half-dozen on the hot-seat.
Here we are with our first-half award winners, award clunkers, winners, losers and those caught stuck in neutral.
Best team in baseballAnthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton celebrate a home run.New York Yankees: Take a bow GM Brian Cashman, remaking the team during the winter, emphasizing pitching and athleticism, and sitting with one of the best records in the first half in franchise history.
Runner-up: Houston Astros – Carlos Correa walks away. Lance McCullers hasn’t thrown a pitch. But, oh, they still have Dusty Baker working his magic.
Worst team in baseball
Oakland Athletics: If you’re into gambling, the bet of the year was taking the under on the A’s winning 77 games this year. What, the oddsmakers weren’t paying attention knowing that once they let manager Bob Melvin walk away, they were planning to gut the roster and tear down the franchise to its foundation. Oh, and guess what, they’re going to get worse after they dump ace Frankie Montas, center fielder Ramon Laureano and more. It will be a miraculous finish if they lose only 100 games.
Runner-up: Washington Nationals – The 2019 World Series flag looks beautiful at Nationals Park, but who would have ever envisioned that the Orioles have a better future than the Nationals? They also are about to get even worse after the trade deadline with the departures of sluggers Josh Bell and Nelson Cruz.
Most surprising team: Baltimore Orioles: Funny what a 10-game winning streak, their longest since 1999, can do for a team’s image. The question for the Orioles over the years hasn’t been whether they would lose 100 games, but if they break the all-time record. They lost 110 games last year, were 180 games under .500 the previous three seasons, and opened the year with a $45 million payroll. These days, despite playing in baseball’s toughest division, they are a .500 team, with a 21-9 record since June 11, second-best in baseball.
The Orioles still plan to sell off some of pieces at the trade deadline, refusing to be sucked in by the hype, but with much more of a balanced scheduled a year from now, they could be an honest-to-goodness contender.
Runner-up: Minnesota Twins – A year ago, they were an after-thought, losing 87 games. Even when they picked up Carlos Correa in spring training, he was considered prime trade bait at the deadline. Well, here they are, with a bullpen that regularly melts down, a starting rotation where there are no stars, and leading the AL Central.
Most disappointing teamTony La Russa was hired prior to the 2021 season.Chicago White Sox: Really, it’s not even close, despite their recent winning streak. This team has been hit by injuries, but still, they are a mess, even playing in an awful division. They can’t play defense. They can’t run the bases. Their offense has stunk until lately. And their pitching is wildly erratic. If this team doesn’t turn it around and make the postseason, the front office is going to sit down with Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa this winter and try to convince him the time has come to walk away into a front-office role.
Runner-up: Los Angeles Angels – This was supposed to be the year they at least stayed in contention for a playoff berth with Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. Who thought they’d lose 36 of their last 48 games and be eliminated by July, firing manager Joe Maddon and nothing changing, sitting with a 39-52 record entering Saturday.
American League MVPAaron Judge is a free agent after the 2022 season.Aaron Judge, Yankees: When you’re the best player on the best team in baseball and are having the best year of your career, how can it go to anyone else? Remember, this is a Most VALUABLE Player award, not a best player award, eliminating Shohei Ohtani. If it was simply about being the best player, Barry Bonds would have won about years in a row. Judge deserves the award for having so much confidence and faith in himself that he casually dismissed a seven-year, $213.5 million offer this spring, saying he’ll talk again in the offseason, and see who’s right.
Runner-up: Yordan Alvarez, Astros – The guy signed a $115 million extension in his first year of salary arbitration and it already looks like a steal two months in Alvarez is that talented – hitting .306 with 26 homers, 60 RBI, and a league-leading.653 slugging percentage and 1.058 OPS – and with a strong second half, could steal the award from Judge.
National League MVPPaul Goldschmidt is an All-Star for the first time since 2018.Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals: OK, there’s hardly anyone still alive who actually met Lou Gehrig, but Goldschmidt may be the second coming of the Iron Horse. He has played more games than anyone in baseball since joining the Cardinals, and has been the NL’s best overall hitter, leading the league in batting average (.329), on-base percentage (.414) and OPS (.998). How rare is the feat? No Cardinals player has ever accomplished it. He also remains an elite defensive first baseman and baserunner.
Runner-up: Manny Machado, Padres – The Padres would be dead and buried without Machado’s fabulous first half (.307, 15 homers, 51 RBI, .906 OPS) and Gold Glove defense. He has become their team leader, and is the primary reason they’ve hung around in the NL West race without Fernando Tatis Jr. stepping onto the field.
Best free agent signingMax Scherzer, Mets: The guy has been worth every penny of his $43 million annual salary. He missed time due to injury but has come back strong and is a force in the clubhouse, commanding respect.
Runner-up: Matt Carpenter, Yankees – Nobody wanted him all winter. He was in Triple-A for the Rangers until mid-May. He asked for his release, the Yankees were the only team that called, and he now has hit more home runs (12) for the Yankees in 72 at-bats than he did the entire past two years for the St. Louis Cardinals. Pretty nice getting a guy off the scrap heap averaging a homer every six at-bats.
Worst free agent signingBaez spent 2021 with the Cubs and Mets before signing with Detroit.Javy Baez, Tigers: Sure, the Tigers knew he was a free swinger, but maybe not to this extent, chasing 47.5% of pitches outside the strike zone. He is hitting just .218 with a .256 on-base percentage and .384 slugging percentage. The guy is even struggling in the field, with a minus-3 in defensive runs saved. The Tigers have five more years of Baez to see him get right.
Runner-up: Kris Bryant, Rockies – You don’t pay a fella $182 million to hit four home runs with 11 RBI playing at Coors Field. Bryant has been hurt, missing nearly two months with a bad back and entering the weekend having played just 30 games. He needs a solid second half for Rockies fans to believe this was the right move.
AL Cy YoungShane McClanahan, Rays: He is a blast to watch, striking out a league-high 147 batters with twice as many strikeouts as hits (69) allowed. McClanahan (10-3, 1.71 ERA) is most dominant pitcher in the league, giving up more than two earned runs in just two of his 18 starts, and leading the league in ERA, WHIP (0.795), opponent’s batting average (.176) and strikeout percentage (35.7 percent). He could join Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez as the only pitchers in history to strike out at least 200 batters, give up half as many hits, and have a sub-2.00 ERA.
Runner-up: Justin Verlander, Astros – The guy is 39 years old, coming back from Tommy John surgery, and is 11-3 with a 2.00 ERA. He’s one of the game’s greatest pitchers of his era, with a plaque awaiting him at Cooperstown.
NL Cy YoungSandy Alcantara is an All-Star for the second time in his career.Sandy Alcantara, Marlins: Who does he think he is, Bob Gibson? You talk about old-school. Alcantara (9-4, 1.76 ERA) has pitched at least eight innings in nine of his starts this year – six more than any other pitcher in baseball – and has gone a full nine innings three times. He has made 13 consecutive starts pitching at least seven innings, allowing two or fewer runs in 12 of the starts. It’s the longest stretch by any pitcher since 2014. He has pitched an MLB-leading 138⅓ innings, 30 more than anyone else.
Runner-up: Tony Gonsolin, Dodgers – When you’re 11-0 with a 2.02 ERA, it doesn’t matter how many innings you’re pitching. And don’t let anyone tell you differently. Wins means everything to starting pitchers.
AL Rookie of the YearJulio Rodriguez, Mariners: He may be the best outfielder to come out of Seattle since a fella by the name of Ken Griffey Jr. He can do anything and everything. He had a miserable April getting acclimated, hitting .206 without a home run, and has since hit 16 homers, with 44 of his 50 RBI, and has stolen 12 of his MLB-leading 21 steals since May 1.
He became the fastest player in big-league history to reach 15 or more home runs and 20 or more stolen bases, and the first rookie with that many homers and stolen bases before the All-Star break since Devon White of the Angels in 1987.
He could join Mike Trout as the only players in baseball history to hit 30 homers and steal 40 bases in a season at the age of 21 or younger. He is the reason for the Mariners’ resurgence and could certainly wind up in AL MVP discussions.
Runner-up: Jeremy Pena, Astros: Carlos Correa may be gone, and certainly he is a force in the middle of any lineup, but man, has Pena ever stepped in nicely with his magnificent defense.
NL Rookie of the YearMichael Harris' promotion coincided with Atlanta catching fire.Michael Harris, Atlanta: Harris, 21, stepped into Atlanta’s lineup on May 28, without having played a single game at Class AAA, and they have been winning virtually every day since. He has been phenomenal defensively, and his offense has surprised Atlanta executives, and even himself, hitting .277 with eight homers, 26 RBI and an .804 OPS.
Runner-up: Spencer Strider, Atlanta – He made his first start on May 30 in an experiment to see if he could cut it out of the bullpen. He proved he’s not only ready, but is flourishing with a 3-1, 2.74 ERA as a starter, striking out 73 batters in 46 innings, and yielding a .180 batting average and measly .536 OPS.
AL Manager of the YearBrandon Hyde, Orioles: Remember when no one could tell whether Hyde was a good manager or a poor one considering he didn’t have any players? Well, despite having the least amount of talent of any team in the AL East, if not the entire American League, no one has gotten more out of his players. He is the leader of the league’s biggest surprise.
Runner-up: Dusty Baker, Astros – Baker, 72, owns his own vineyard he’s getting better with age, too. The Astros were expected to take a step backwards this year and perhaps even relinquish their AL West crown. Instead, they’re running away from the pack.
NL Manager of the YearMets manager Buck Showalter talks with shortstop Francisco Lindor.Buck Showalter, Mets: The only real question is why he remained on the sidelines for three years while everyone snubbed him looking for managers. He has always been one of the game’s best managers and now he’s excelling on the biggest stage in the game. It’s hard to believe that no Mets manager has ever won the NL award. That will end this year.
Runner-up: Bob Melvin, Padres – The Padres melted down when they were in contention last summer. This time around, there’s so much confidence and trust in Melvin that they believe they’re as good as any team in baseball. He’s one the game’s most underrated managers in the last two decades.
Managers on the hot seatThere have been three managers already fired in the first half of the season.
The last time we’ve seen such a turnover before the All-Star Game was back in 2015:
So who’s next on the chopping block in 2022?
While it’s hard to see anyone getting fired until the offseason, there are six managers who may be gone before the December winter meetings.
Tony La Russa, White Sox
The White Sox certainly won’t fire him during the season, but may have no choice to re-assign him if they don’t reach the playoffs. The team is dysfunctional with lack of leadership, and although it’s hardly all La Russa’s fault, he hasn’t changed the culture.
Torey Lovullo, Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks are still rebuilding, and like Charlie Montoyo, Lovullo is loved in the organization but too many fundamental mistakes continue to be made, with ownership already rejecting the front office’s request for an extension.
Mike Matheny, Royals
The Royals expected to make great strides this year and at least flirt with mediocrity. They’ve instead gone backwards and have the second-worst record in the American League.
Don Mattingly, Marlins
Mattingly took a pay cut just to come back to the Marlins. They need to make the playoffs, or at least come awfully close, to assure his job security for another year.
Scott Servais, Mariners
Servais and GM Jerry Dipoto are joined at the hip since arriving to Seattle seven years ago, but if the Mariners miss the playoffs for the 21st consecutive year after their recent hot streak, someone may have to pay the price.
Chris Woodward, Rangers
You don’t spend a half-billion in free agency and expect to be doormats. Woodward’s job with the Rangers may hinge on just how close they come to the playoffs without making it.
Around the basepaths– The Washington Nationals may be telling teams that All-Star outfielder Juan Soto is now available after he rejected their 15-year, $440 million contract offer, but it still appears unlikely that he’ll be moved by the Aug. 2 trade deadline.
Nats officials say they will have to be overwhelmed by an offer to trade him in the next three weeks knowing he’s still under control through the 2024 season.
Teams realize that if he’s not going to sign a $440 million deal with his homegrown team, he’s not about to turn around and immediately sign with them.
Still, he easily becomes the hottest name on the trade market, and it will be fascinating just who will make serious offers.
– The Angels have gone from potential buyers to sellers, and with the thin market for starting pitchers, they could get a prized prospect for Noah Syndergaard, even with his $21 million salary.
– Just how much will the Reds gets for ace Luis Castillo, who clearly is the No. 1 trade chip in baseball? yielding a 1.00 ERA in his last four starts with a 1.38 ERA against the powerful AL East.
Executives predict it will cost a team at least two of its top five prospects, and perhaps three of their top 10.
Castillo has yielded a 1.00 ERA in his last four starts and isn't a free agent until after the 2023 season.
The Yankees would love to have him as their No. 2 starter behind Gerrit Cole. The Yankees’ starting rotation had the lowest ERA in the major leagues on June 5, but since has a 4.42 ERA, ranking just 18th.
This is a rotation with Luis Severino, who’s on the IL with a lat strain, and hasn’t pitched a full season since 2018.
Nestor Cortes is just shy of his career high in inninga.
Jameson Taillon, who was yielding a.353 slugging percentage on June 5, since has a major-league worst .608.
The Reds, badly in need of young position players, will have one of the top 10 farm systems after trading Castillo.
Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY
Sun, July 17, 2022 at 3:22 PMLOS ANGELES – Come on, you didn’t know the Baltimore Orioles would actually be the one of the best teams in baseball for the past month and in contention for a playoff berth?
You didn’t realize that the New York Yankees and Houston Astros would have their divisions sewn up by the All-Star break?
You didn’t have Clay Holmes as the Yankees’ All-Star closer or Nestor Cortes as an All-Star starter?
Welcome to the wacky first half of the 2022 season, a year that started late, saw three managers fired and another half-dozen on the hot-seat.
Here we are with our first-half award winners, award clunkers, winners, losers and those caught stuck in neutral.
Best team in baseballAnthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton celebrate a home run.New York Yankees: Take a bow GM Brian Cashman, remaking the team during the winter, emphasizing pitching and athleticism, and sitting with one of the best records in the first half in franchise history.
Runner-up: Houston Astros – Carlos Correa walks away. Lance McCullers hasn’t thrown a pitch. But, oh, they still have Dusty Baker working his magic.
Worst team in baseball
Oakland Athletics: If you’re into gambling, the bet of the year was taking the under on the A’s winning 77 games this year. What, the oddsmakers weren’t paying attention knowing that once they let manager Bob Melvin walk away, they were planning to gut the roster and tear down the franchise to its foundation. Oh, and guess what, they’re going to get worse after they dump ace Frankie Montas, center fielder Ramon Laureano and more. It will be a miraculous finish if they lose only 100 games.
Runner-up: Washington Nationals – The 2019 World Series flag looks beautiful at Nationals Park, but who would have ever envisioned that the Orioles have a better future than the Nationals? They also are about to get even worse after the trade deadline with the departures of sluggers Josh Bell and Nelson Cruz.
Most surprising team: Baltimore Orioles: Funny what a 10-game winning streak, their longest since 1999, can do for a team’s image. The question for the Orioles over the years hasn’t been whether they would lose 100 games, but if they break the all-time record. They lost 110 games last year, were 180 games under .500 the previous three seasons, and opened the year with a $45 million payroll. These days, despite playing in baseball’s toughest division, they are a .500 team, with a 21-9 record since June 11, second-best in baseball.
The Orioles still plan to sell off some of pieces at the trade deadline, refusing to be sucked in by the hype, but with much more of a balanced scheduled a year from now, they could be an honest-to-goodness contender.
Runner-up: Minnesota Twins – A year ago, they were an after-thought, losing 87 games. Even when they picked up Carlos Correa in spring training, he was considered prime trade bait at the deadline. Well, here they are, with a bullpen that regularly melts down, a starting rotation where there are no stars, and leading the AL Central.
Most disappointing teamTony La Russa was hired prior to the 2021 season.Chicago White Sox: Really, it’s not even close, despite their recent winning streak. This team has been hit by injuries, but still, they are a mess, even playing in an awful division. They can’t play defense. They can’t run the bases. Their offense has stunk until lately. And their pitching is wildly erratic. If this team doesn’t turn it around and make the postseason, the front office is going to sit down with Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa this winter and try to convince him the time has come to walk away into a front-office role.
Runner-up: Los Angeles Angels – This was supposed to be the year they at least stayed in contention for a playoff berth with Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. Who thought they’d lose 36 of their last 48 games and be eliminated by July, firing manager Joe Maddon and nothing changing, sitting with a 39-52 record entering Saturday.
American League MVPAaron Judge is a free agent after the 2022 season.Aaron Judge, Yankees: When you’re the best player on the best team in baseball and are having the best year of your career, how can it go to anyone else? Remember, this is a Most VALUABLE Player award, not a best player award, eliminating Shohei Ohtani. If it was simply about being the best player, Barry Bonds would have won about years in a row. Judge deserves the award for having so much confidence and faith in himself that he casually dismissed a seven-year, $213.5 million offer this spring, saying he’ll talk again in the offseason, and see who’s right.
Runner-up: Yordan Alvarez, Astros – The guy signed a $115 million extension in his first year of salary arbitration and it already looks like a steal two months in Alvarez is that talented – hitting .306 with 26 homers, 60 RBI, and a league-leading.653 slugging percentage and 1.058 OPS – and with a strong second half, could steal the award from Judge.
National League MVPPaul Goldschmidt is an All-Star for the first time since 2018.Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals: OK, there’s hardly anyone still alive who actually met Lou Gehrig, but Goldschmidt may be the second coming of the Iron Horse. He has played more games than anyone in baseball since joining the Cardinals, and has been the NL’s best overall hitter, leading the league in batting average (.329), on-base percentage (.414) and OPS (.998). How rare is the feat? No Cardinals player has ever accomplished it. He also remains an elite defensive first baseman and baserunner.
Runner-up: Manny Machado, Padres – The Padres would be dead and buried without Machado’s fabulous first half (.307, 15 homers, 51 RBI, .906 OPS) and Gold Glove defense. He has become their team leader, and is the primary reason they’ve hung around in the NL West race without Fernando Tatis Jr. stepping onto the field.
Best free agent signingMax Scherzer, Mets: The guy has been worth every penny of his $43 million annual salary. He missed time due to injury but has come back strong and is a force in the clubhouse, commanding respect.
Runner-up: Matt Carpenter, Yankees – Nobody wanted him all winter. He was in Triple-A for the Rangers until mid-May. He asked for his release, the Yankees were the only team that called, and he now has hit more home runs (12) for the Yankees in 72 at-bats than he did the entire past two years for the St. Louis Cardinals. Pretty nice getting a guy off the scrap heap averaging a homer every six at-bats.
Worst free agent signingBaez spent 2021 with the Cubs and Mets before signing with Detroit.Javy Baez, Tigers: Sure, the Tigers knew he was a free swinger, but maybe not to this extent, chasing 47.5% of pitches outside the strike zone. He is hitting just .218 with a .256 on-base percentage and .384 slugging percentage. The guy is even struggling in the field, with a minus-3 in defensive runs saved. The Tigers have five more years of Baez to see him get right.
Runner-up: Kris Bryant, Rockies – You don’t pay a fella $182 million to hit four home runs with 11 RBI playing at Coors Field. Bryant has been hurt, missing nearly two months with a bad back and entering the weekend having played just 30 games. He needs a solid second half for Rockies fans to believe this was the right move.
AL Cy YoungShane McClanahan, Rays: He is a blast to watch, striking out a league-high 147 batters with twice as many strikeouts as hits (69) allowed. McClanahan (10-3, 1.71 ERA) is most dominant pitcher in the league, giving up more than two earned runs in just two of his 18 starts, and leading the league in ERA, WHIP (0.795), opponent’s batting average (.176) and strikeout percentage (35.7 percent). He could join Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez as the only pitchers in history to strike out at least 200 batters, give up half as many hits, and have a sub-2.00 ERA.
Runner-up: Justin Verlander, Astros – The guy is 39 years old, coming back from Tommy John surgery, and is 11-3 with a 2.00 ERA. He’s one of the game’s greatest pitchers of his era, with a plaque awaiting him at Cooperstown.
NL Cy YoungSandy Alcantara is an All-Star for the second time in his career.Sandy Alcantara, Marlins: Who does he think he is, Bob Gibson? You talk about old-school. Alcantara (9-4, 1.76 ERA) has pitched at least eight innings in nine of his starts this year – six more than any other pitcher in baseball – and has gone a full nine innings three times. He has made 13 consecutive starts pitching at least seven innings, allowing two or fewer runs in 12 of the starts. It’s the longest stretch by any pitcher since 2014. He has pitched an MLB-leading 138⅓ innings, 30 more than anyone else.
Runner-up: Tony Gonsolin, Dodgers – When you’re 11-0 with a 2.02 ERA, it doesn’t matter how many innings you’re pitching. And don’t let anyone tell you differently. Wins means everything to starting pitchers.
AL Rookie of the YearJulio Rodriguez, Mariners: He may be the best outfielder to come out of Seattle since a fella by the name of Ken Griffey Jr. He can do anything and everything. He had a miserable April getting acclimated, hitting .206 without a home run, and has since hit 16 homers, with 44 of his 50 RBI, and has stolen 12 of his MLB-leading 21 steals since May 1.
He became the fastest player in big-league history to reach 15 or more home runs and 20 or more stolen bases, and the first rookie with that many homers and stolen bases before the All-Star break since Devon White of the Angels in 1987.
He could join Mike Trout as the only players in baseball history to hit 30 homers and steal 40 bases in a season at the age of 21 or younger. He is the reason for the Mariners’ resurgence and could certainly wind up in AL MVP discussions.
Runner-up: Jeremy Pena, Astros: Carlos Correa may be gone, and certainly he is a force in the middle of any lineup, but man, has Pena ever stepped in nicely with his magnificent defense.
NL Rookie of the YearMichael Harris' promotion coincided with Atlanta catching fire.Michael Harris, Atlanta: Harris, 21, stepped into Atlanta’s lineup on May 28, without having played a single game at Class AAA, and they have been winning virtually every day since. He has been phenomenal defensively, and his offense has surprised Atlanta executives, and even himself, hitting .277 with eight homers, 26 RBI and an .804 OPS.
Runner-up: Spencer Strider, Atlanta – He made his first start on May 30 in an experiment to see if he could cut it out of the bullpen. He proved he’s not only ready, but is flourishing with a 3-1, 2.74 ERA as a starter, striking out 73 batters in 46 innings, and yielding a .180 batting average and measly .536 OPS.
AL Manager of the YearBrandon Hyde, Orioles: Remember when no one could tell whether Hyde was a good manager or a poor one considering he didn’t have any players? Well, despite having the least amount of talent of any team in the AL East, if not the entire American League, no one has gotten more out of his players. He is the leader of the league’s biggest surprise.
Runner-up: Dusty Baker, Astros – Baker, 72, owns his own vineyard he’s getting better with age, too. The Astros were expected to take a step backwards this year and perhaps even relinquish their AL West crown. Instead, they’re running away from the pack.
NL Manager of the YearMets manager Buck Showalter talks with shortstop Francisco Lindor.Buck Showalter, Mets: The only real question is why he remained on the sidelines for three years while everyone snubbed him looking for managers. He has always been one of the game’s best managers and now he’s excelling on the biggest stage in the game. It’s hard to believe that no Mets manager has ever won the NL award. That will end this year.
Runner-up: Bob Melvin, Padres – The Padres melted down when they were in contention last summer. This time around, there’s so much confidence and trust in Melvin that they believe they’re as good as any team in baseball. He’s one the game’s most underrated managers in the last two decades.
Managers on the hot seatThere have been three managers already fired in the first half of the season.
The last time we’ve seen such a turnover before the All-Star Game was back in 2015:
So who’s next on the chopping block in 2022?
While it’s hard to see anyone getting fired until the offseason, there are six managers who may be gone before the December winter meetings.
Tony La Russa, White Sox
The White Sox certainly won’t fire him during the season, but may have no choice to re-assign him if they don’t reach the playoffs. The team is dysfunctional with lack of leadership, and although it’s hardly all La Russa’s fault, he hasn’t changed the culture.
Torey Lovullo, Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks are still rebuilding, and like Charlie Montoyo, Lovullo is loved in the organization but too many fundamental mistakes continue to be made, with ownership already rejecting the front office’s request for an extension.
Mike Matheny, Royals
The Royals expected to make great strides this year and at least flirt with mediocrity. They’ve instead gone backwards and have the second-worst record in the American League.
Don Mattingly, Marlins
Mattingly took a pay cut just to come back to the Marlins. They need to make the playoffs, or at least come awfully close, to assure his job security for another year.
Scott Servais, Mariners
Servais and GM Jerry Dipoto are joined at the hip since arriving to Seattle seven years ago, but if the Mariners miss the playoffs for the 21st consecutive year after their recent hot streak, someone may have to pay the price.
Chris Woodward, Rangers
You don’t spend a half-billion in free agency and expect to be doormats. Woodward’s job with the Rangers may hinge on just how close they come to the playoffs without making it.
Around the basepaths– The Washington Nationals may be telling teams that All-Star outfielder Juan Soto is now available after he rejected their 15-year, $440 million contract offer, but it still appears unlikely that he’ll be moved by the Aug. 2 trade deadline.
Nats officials say they will have to be overwhelmed by an offer to trade him in the next three weeks knowing he’s still under control through the 2024 season.
Teams realize that if he’s not going to sign a $440 million deal with his homegrown team, he’s not about to turn around and immediately sign with them.
Still, he easily becomes the hottest name on the trade market, and it will be fascinating just who will make serious offers.
– The Angels have gone from potential buyers to sellers, and with the thin market for starting pitchers, they could get a prized prospect for Noah Syndergaard, even with his $21 million salary.
– Just how much will the Reds gets for ace Luis Castillo, who clearly is the No. 1 trade chip in baseball? yielding a 1.00 ERA in his last four starts with a 1.38 ERA against the powerful AL East.
Executives predict it will cost a team at least two of its top five prospects, and perhaps three of their top 10.
Castillo has yielded a 1.00 ERA in his last four starts and isn't a free agent until after the 2023 season.
The Yankees would love to have him as their No. 2 starter behind Gerrit Cole. The Yankees’ starting rotation had the lowest ERA in the major leagues on June 5, but since has a 4.42 ERA, ranking just 18th.
This is a rotation with Luis Severino, who’s on the IL with a lat strain, and hasn’t pitched a full season since 2018.
Nestor Cortes is just shy of his career high in inninga.
Jameson Taillon, who was yielding a.353 slugging percentage on June 5, since has a major-league worst .608.
The Reds, badly in need of young position players, will have one of the top 10 farm systems after trading Castillo.
Barry Sanders, Tom Izzo, Calvin Johnson and Dylan Larkin Lead Star-Studded Field as Rocket Mortgage Classic Announces Participants for AREA 313 Celebrity Scramble presented by the Total Health Care Foundation
Writer-director of 'Bull Durham' reveals behind-the-scenes stories of timeless movie
DETROIT (July 13, 2022) – The Rocket Mortgage Classic today announced a star-studded field for a special event that has quickly become a fan favorite during tournament week. The annual AREA 313 Celebrity Scramble presented by the Total Health Care Foundation will feature a pair of football Hall of Famers, a Hall of Fame basketball coach, a two-time NHL All-Star, a long drive world-record holder, a world-famous musician, up-and-coming golf stars and some of the biggest names on the PGA TOUR.
The AREA 313 Celebrity Scramble - awarded the PGA TOUR’s “Best Special Event” after its debut in 2019 - will be held Tuesday, July 26 at Detroit Golf Club. It is one of the many special events being held during Detroit Community Days presented by DTE Energy, which provide complimentary admission and parking on Tuesday, July 26 and Wednesday, July 27.
The Rocket Mortgage Classic returns July 26-31 to Detroit Golf Club, bringing the PGA TOUR event to the city of Detroit for the fourth straight year. Tickets for Thursday-Sunday competition rounds are available at RocketMortgageClassic.com.
The AREA 313 Celebrity Scramble - awarded the PGA TOUR’s “Best Special Event” after its debut in 2019 - will be held Tuesday, July 26 at Detroit Golf Club. It is one of the many special events being held during Detroit Community Days presented by DTE Energy, which provide complimentary admission and parking on Tuesday, July 26 and Wednesday, July 27.
The Rocket Mortgage Classic returns July 26-31 to Detroit Golf Club, bringing the PGA TOUR event to the city of Detroit for the fourth straight year. Tickets for Thursday-Sunday competition rounds are available at RocketMortgageClassic.com.
Julie Hinds- Courtesy of Detroit Free Press
The genius of “Bull Durham” can be found in so many scenes, including one in which minor-league veteran Crash Davis (Kevin Costner) coaches pitching newcomer Ebby Calvin (Nuke) LaLoosh (Tim Robbins) on the art of being interviewed.
“You’re going to have to learn your cliches,” advises Crash. “You’re going to have to study them. ... Write this down. 'We’ve got to play them one day at a time.'”
"'Got to play.' … That’s pretty boring, you know?” responds Nuke.
“Of course it’s boring,” says Crash. “That’s the point. Write it down!”
Yes, most real post-game interviews are mind-numbingly boring. But writer-director Ron Shelton’s 1988 movie about the Durham Bulls baseball team remains the exact opposite of boring.
The greatest sports movie of all time — that’s according to a 2003 Sports Illustrated ranking that still holds up — is the subject of Ron Shelton's new book, “The Church of Baseball: The Making of Bull Durham: Home Runs, Bad Calls, Crazy Fights, Big Swings, and a Hit."
Shelton will talk about his memoir Thursday at a virtual event hosted by Dearborn's Henry Ford Centennial Library. Joining Shelton in the Zoom discussion will be Jim Burnstein, the director of the screenwriting program at the University of Michigan (and a screenwriter and producer who has delved into sports movies himself with the script for "D3: The Mighty Ducks").
Released in 1988, “Bull Durham” stars Costner as an older, wiser catcher for the Durham, North Carolina, team, Robbins as the mix of raw talent and naivete that is Nuke and Susan Sarandon as Annie Savoy, a so-called baseball groupie who's in love with the game and who practices serial monogamy by romancing one player each season.
What makes "Bull Durham" such a timeless movie? Burnstein says the short answer is that Shelton designed it that way.
"Ron Shelton pitched it as 'Lysistrata' in the minor leagues. And you don’t have to be a fan of Aristophanes or baseball to get it," says Burnstein, referring to the ancient Greek play about a battle of the sexes.
"It’s a pitcher, a catcher and a woman who tells the tale. She sleeps with one of them, but the other one is the right guy. You cannot help but love all of these characters. The story rings true because the minor league world Shelton creates is one he inhabited. It’s funny and sad and perfectly cast. 'Bull Durham' is the gold standard when it comes to sports movies because it’s not about sports."
The genius of “Bull Durham” can be found in so many scenes, including one in which minor-league veteran Crash Davis (Kevin Costner) coaches pitching newcomer Ebby Calvin (Nuke) LaLoosh (Tim Robbins) on the art of being interviewed.
“You’re going to have to learn your cliches,” advises Crash. “You’re going to have to study them. ... Write this down. 'We’ve got to play them one day at a time.'”
"'Got to play.' … That’s pretty boring, you know?” responds Nuke.
“Of course it’s boring,” says Crash. “That’s the point. Write it down!”
Yes, most real post-game interviews are mind-numbingly boring. But writer-director Ron Shelton’s 1988 movie about the Durham Bulls baseball team remains the exact opposite of boring.
The greatest sports movie of all time — that’s according to a 2003 Sports Illustrated ranking that still holds up — is the subject of Ron Shelton's new book, “The Church of Baseball: The Making of Bull Durham: Home Runs, Bad Calls, Crazy Fights, Big Swings, and a Hit."
Shelton will talk about his memoir Thursday at a virtual event hosted by Dearborn's Henry Ford Centennial Library. Joining Shelton in the Zoom discussion will be Jim Burnstein, the director of the screenwriting program at the University of Michigan (and a screenwriter and producer who has delved into sports movies himself with the script for "D3: The Mighty Ducks").
Released in 1988, “Bull Durham” stars Costner as an older, wiser catcher for the Durham, North Carolina, team, Robbins as the mix of raw talent and naivete that is Nuke and Susan Sarandon as Annie Savoy, a so-called baseball groupie who's in love with the game and who practices serial monogamy by romancing one player each season.
What makes "Bull Durham" such a timeless movie? Burnstein says the short answer is that Shelton designed it that way.
"Ron Shelton pitched it as 'Lysistrata' in the minor leagues. And you don’t have to be a fan of Aristophanes or baseball to get it," says Burnstein, referring to the ancient Greek play about a battle of the sexes.
"It’s a pitcher, a catcher and a woman who tells the tale. She sleeps with one of them, but the other one is the right guy. You cannot help but love all of these characters. The story rings true because the minor league world Shelton creates is one he inhabited. It’s funny and sad and perfectly cast. 'Bull Durham' is the gold standard when it comes to sports movies because it’s not about sports."
The latest in sports and my unfiltered take
MAC Championship Game pits two unexpected teams for conference title champion
Ja Its totally expected that most Michigan fans whether the Wolverines, Spartans and so on are looking toward Indianapolis. The Michigan Wolverines are making their first appearance in Indianapolis against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
At Ford Field in Detroit, the MAC west champions Northern Illinois (8-4, 6-2 MAC and the Kent St. Golden Flashes (7-5, 6-2 MAC) squared off and neither of these teams were expected to be playing in this game back in July when media and conference coaches made their preseason polls.
Not that this stopped former MSU quarterback and Rocky Lombardi, who has found his rhythm playing for the NIU Huskies. The Huskies took the opening kickoff and moved the ball 41 yards and used a 37 yard field goal by kicker John Richardson to take a three point lead.
The Golden Flashes Dustin Crum is determined to throw the ball Six of the nine plays on the first drive were in the air and a touchdown strike was called back after an illegal player went downfield.
For NIU, a series of running plays went nowhere in drive two, until a Lombardi strike to Cole Tucker gave the Huskies their second possession on the Kent St. side of the field. It culminated with an end round scamper by Jay Ducker.
The second half saw KSU methodically march down the field and Andrew Glass' field goal put the Golden Flashes on the board. NIU 17- KSU 3.
The ball control offense led by Lombardi made its way to midfield but a Unsportsman flag on Marques Cox which followed a Lombardi sack. They punted and the Flashes were not at work on offense for long.
An Interception return by C.J Brown was taken to the house and increased the NIU lead to 24-3.
with less than four minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the Golden Flashes were forced to go to the air. It worked for a first down completion to Ja'Shaun Poke for a first down. Another important play was a Crum run on a keeper. A pass interference penalty on NIU's JeVaughn Byrd put the Flashes at the NIU 15, `
Nykiem Johnson took a 15 yard pass in the flat into the endzone to cut the lead to 14. NIU 24- KSU 10
After three quarters VVV
A 33 yard completion from Lombardi to Trayvon Rudolph was caught and challenged by KSU. It looked out on the first look as Rudolph's lead foot touched the sideline but the officials said the trail foot, which came down inbounds but after the lead foot counts. Huge play for NIU.
Still, the Golden Flashes defense was as solid as butter on a hot summers day. An eight play 75 yard drive finished with a 5 yard Lombardi run increased the lead to NIU 31- KSU 10.
KSU tried to get things going trailing by 21. Crumm tried a couple of sidelines passes, a run and was sacked on 4th down. NIU took over at the 21.
Kent State opened up the faucets late and scored two late touchdowns. NIU added a field goal. The stats are below.
Hey, sometimes the best team wins the Solheim Cup. Here's a timeline to a win and my take
After the US went down 5 ½ to 2 ½ after day one of the Solheim Cup, the Americans win three of four morning matches and trail 6 ½ to 5 ½. The Americans cough up the one-point deficit in the afternoon four ball matches. Their two-match deficit has the Yanks training 9 to 7 to Team Europe.
2:15 pm. Observations: The Korda sisters are mortal. Well, we knew that but when you win four tournaments and a Olympic Golf Medal between the two, you expect a lot. Neither sister played great.
2:28 pm Sorry to say, but the same went for Lexi Thompson. She dropped matches on Friday and Saturday.
2:44pm -In a Nelly Korda sighting, she now leads her match by two holes after 9. At 2:59pm, its back to one.
2:58 pm. In a gut check moment, the Americans, who put up some red on the board after a third of the day, saw blue paint the scoreboard as seven of ten matches are now in the hands of Team Europe.
3pm- Now, eight of the ten matches are controlled by Team Europe. Escargot anyone?
3:19pm Of the eight matches in the European lead column, five are by a single shot.
3:25- Lexi misses a short birdie putt. With three holes to go, she trails by one.
3:30- Jennifer Kupcho misses her par putt. This is the first loss for the Yanks on Sunday. Its 10-7 Europe.
3:39- With Thompson and Ally Ewing now trailing by one hole, the Americans trail 8 to four in single matches and all players have at least started their back nine.
3:51 Ally Ewing misses a birdie putt on 16. Sagstrom finishes the match with a birdie. The final is 3 and 2. 11-7 Euros.
3:56 The Europeans win their third consecutive match as Boutier whipes out Harigae 5&4. Europe now leads 12-7.
4:09 For Team USA, Maria Salas has birdied number 13 and has made her match all square.
4:13 Thompson and Nordqvist finish their match halved. Europe leads 12 ½ to 7 ½.
4:22- Looking at the numbers, the Americans lead in four of the six remaining matches with two more all square. They need to win those four matches. Then they need the two AS matches and need to take one more point from a match the Europeans lead. My pencil is dull, but trying to find a way.
4:30 Nelly Korda nearly holes a birdie, but it was enough to finish off Georgia Hall. It is the American’s first win today in the fifth match of the day. 8 ½ to 12 ½
4:31 Brittany Altomare makes the anaconda and squares the match after 14.
4:47- Not much has changed on the math front. The matches are still basically the same except Danielle Kang now trails by two in her final match against Emily Pedersen.
4:48 The Americans have been dancing around the hole all day with hardly a made putt to show for it. Momma told me there would be days like these.
5:00 Sophia Popov wins her third straight hole to cut the Khang lead to three with three to play.
5:01 Lizette Salas hits a rope to eight feet. She could tie her match. Nope. She misses her putt. She makes the comebacker and the Yanks have a slight chance. Castren makes her putt and guarantees the Europeans at least a half point.
5:13 Khang closes out Popov with a par and wins the match 3&2. Europe 13, USA 10.
5:18 Matilda Castren stares down a putt after Salas misses her putt. She makes and The Euros are now sitting at 14. Europe 14, USA 10.
At 5:20pm, Europe clinches when Emily Pedersen was guaranteed a half point being up over Danielle Kang by three.
2:15 pm. Observations: The Korda sisters are mortal. Well, we knew that but when you win four tournaments and a Olympic Golf Medal between the two, you expect a lot. Neither sister played great.
2:28 pm Sorry to say, but the same went for Lexi Thompson. She dropped matches on Friday and Saturday.
2:44pm -In a Nelly Korda sighting, she now leads her match by two holes after 9. At 2:59pm, its back to one.
2:58 pm. In a gut check moment, the Americans, who put up some red on the board after a third of the day, saw blue paint the scoreboard as seven of ten matches are now in the hands of Team Europe.
3pm- Now, eight of the ten matches are controlled by Team Europe. Escargot anyone?
3:19pm Of the eight matches in the European lead column, five are by a single shot.
3:25- Lexi misses a short birdie putt. With three holes to go, she trails by one.
3:30- Jennifer Kupcho misses her par putt. This is the first loss for the Yanks on Sunday. Its 10-7 Europe.
3:39- With Thompson and Ally Ewing now trailing by one hole, the Americans trail 8 to four in single matches and all players have at least started their back nine.
3:51 Ally Ewing misses a birdie putt on 16. Sagstrom finishes the match with a birdie. The final is 3 and 2. 11-7 Euros.
3:56 The Europeans win their third consecutive match as Boutier whipes out Harigae 5&4. Europe now leads 12-7.
4:09 For Team USA, Maria Salas has birdied number 13 and has made her match all square.
4:13 Thompson and Nordqvist finish their match halved. Europe leads 12 ½ to 7 ½.
4:22- Looking at the numbers, the Americans lead in four of the six remaining matches with two more all square. They need to win those four matches. Then they need the two AS matches and need to take one more point from a match the Europeans lead. My pencil is dull, but trying to find a way.
4:30 Nelly Korda nearly holes a birdie, but it was enough to finish off Georgia Hall. It is the American’s first win today in the fifth match of the day. 8 ½ to 12 ½
4:31 Brittany Altomare makes the anaconda and squares the match after 14.
4:47- Not much has changed on the math front. The matches are still basically the same except Danielle Kang now trails by two in her final match against Emily Pedersen.
4:48 The Americans have been dancing around the hole all day with hardly a made putt to show for it. Momma told me there would be days like these.
5:00 Sophia Popov wins her third straight hole to cut the Khang lead to three with three to play.
5:01 Lizette Salas hits a rope to eight feet. She could tie her match. Nope. She misses her putt. She makes the comebacker and the Yanks have a slight chance. Castren makes her putt and guarantees the Europeans at least a half point.
5:13 Khang closes out Popov with a par and wins the match 3&2. Europe 13, USA 10.
5:18 Matilda Castren stares down a putt after Salas misses her putt. She makes and The Euros are now sitting at 14. Europe 14, USA 10.
At 5:20pm, Europe clinches when Emily Pedersen was guaranteed a half point being up over Danielle Kang by three.
- The Keys to the 2021 Solheim Cup.
- Europe leading 3 ½ to ½ in the Saturday AM session.
- The Americans closed to 6 ½ to 5 ½ after Sunday morning. The Europeans opened the lead back to two.
- The Americans poor start on Sunday morning trailing in nearly every match was the smoke in the garage. Not making putts or having anything magical happen gave them what they deserved. A second place finish to a superb European team.
- My MVP Europe’s Leona Macguire. She went 5-0 for Europe. She is a terrific player who is clutch and keeps her mistakes to a minimum.
Thoughts on NASCAR at Indy, James Piot and Tiger promotions of top draft picks
“In my wildest dreams I could never imagine the way that just played out,” Allmendinger said.
Well, that about sums it up for AJ Allmendinger, whose name was never mentioned until there were two laps to go on Sunday. When Chase Briscoe clipped Denny Hamlin in overtime on Sunday, NASCAR really only has about a dozen cars that realistically have a shot of winning in any given CUP race and for a former full-time cup rider gaining rides only on road courses, Allmendinger won a race for the little guys.
Bet you Bubba Wallace, who has never won a race would love to break through. So would multiple winner Erik Jones, who is still racing for his 2022 ride with Petty Enterprises, which is the black hole of racers looking for wins.
+ Well, the crowd appeared to be decent at Indy. I was there a few years ago and it was embarrassing for NASCAR to basically have 250k seats for a race and barely 10k show up. They announced 40k, but there was no chance of that.
I love the new track owner Roger Penske thinking about a new way to spice up the race. The infield course was a great way to do it and the NASCAR drivers coming down turn one backwards down the straight was an interesting twist. For me, a big change is to have a racing doubleheader. The road course on Saturday, a concert on Saturday evening and racing at the famed oval on Sunday. Make it a combo ticket.
James Piot wins the US Amateur. He is the first Michigander to ever win the tournament. I covered Piot as a high schooler a few years back and he is a very good player. Talented and more. His work ethic shows you that he can drive the ball 350 yards, but in the end, the tortoise won the match and Piot has made Michigan golfers proud. It will be great seeing him with the 10- year amateur exemption that no winner ever uses. He will be in the Master's and US Open field next year. I bet you Piot will work even harder if that is possible to make sure he is ready to make the cut and earn a check.
Finally, Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene and Ryan Kreidler from Erie to Toledo. Torkelson and Greene most likely will be ready for the big club out of spring training in 2022, but don't expect to see them with the Tigers until they mess up their service time to gain their services for an extra year. So, the kids will continue to come.
Well, that about sums it up for AJ Allmendinger, whose name was never mentioned until there were two laps to go on Sunday. When Chase Briscoe clipped Denny Hamlin in overtime on Sunday, NASCAR really only has about a dozen cars that realistically have a shot of winning in any given CUP race and for a former full-time cup rider gaining rides only on road courses, Allmendinger won a race for the little guys.
Bet you Bubba Wallace, who has never won a race would love to break through. So would multiple winner Erik Jones, who is still racing for his 2022 ride with Petty Enterprises, which is the black hole of racers looking for wins.
+ Well, the crowd appeared to be decent at Indy. I was there a few years ago and it was embarrassing for NASCAR to basically have 250k seats for a race and barely 10k show up. They announced 40k, but there was no chance of that.
I love the new track owner Roger Penske thinking about a new way to spice up the race. The infield course was a great way to do it and the NASCAR drivers coming down turn one backwards down the straight was an interesting twist. For me, a big change is to have a racing doubleheader. The road course on Saturday, a concert on Saturday evening and racing at the famed oval on Sunday. Make it a combo ticket.
James Piot wins the US Amateur. He is the first Michigander to ever win the tournament. I covered Piot as a high schooler a few years back and he is a very good player. Talented and more. His work ethic shows you that he can drive the ball 350 yards, but in the end, the tortoise won the match and Piot has made Michigan golfers proud. It will be great seeing him with the 10- year amateur exemption that no winner ever uses. He will be in the Master's and US Open field next year. I bet you Piot will work even harder if that is possible to make sure he is ready to make the cut and earn a check.
Finally, Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene and Ryan Kreidler from Erie to Toledo. Torkelson and Greene most likely will be ready for the big club out of spring training in 2022, but don't expect to see them with the Tigers until they mess up their service time to gain their services for an extra year. So, the kids will continue to come.
Al Avila is emptying out the farm system so players put up, or shut up.
You can't blame Al Avila. After the Tigers traded away both Justin Verlander and JD Martinez back in 2018, it was very apparent that the Tigers teams that appeared in two World Series in seven seasons was over. As a matter of fact, the decline of Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez were already in free fall and Avila just popped the already deflated balloon and kicked it down the road.
Unlike the NFL draft which is also a crap shoot, the MLB is nearly speculative gambling compared to football players who for the most part, have four years of big time experience. With MLB, high school kids are mixed in with the college players and it makes for spectacular finds and flaming misses.
Avila has made a market correction with his picks and has taken stock of all of his picks since 2014. Derek Hill, the first rounder in 2014 was promoted last year and sputtered badly and got another chance earlier this season. He quickly ended up on the injured list and is rehabbing in Toledo. The jury is out on Hill.
Avila also decided to take stock of his 2015 first round high school selection Beau Burrows. Burrows has largely floundered in the minors and his ceiling found him no higher than the mid minors. Avila cut bait with him earlier the season where the Cubs are trying to find a way to promote him to the big league club.
Casey Mize has the best arm in the Tigers organization and this 2018 first rounder was thrown into the fire last season and struggled. After a bumpy start in 2021, he has smoothed his stats out and is getting better to the point of being considered as Detroit's all-star representative, although it went to relief pitcher Gregory Soto.
The Tigers last two first rounders will most likely get the call next season. Spencer Torkelson, last years first rounder and Riley Greene, the outfielder taken in 2019 could see action late this season when the rosters expand.
Avila has little cash to spend on veterans and the minor leaguers are getting their trial by fire. Even if they sink in early promotions, both the organization and the players are getting great feedback.
Avila needs to keep the momentum going. His first round selection in 2021 will get a season or two in the minors and then its show time. I thought he might go with Jack Leiter, the mostly polished pitcher from Vanderbilt who is a senior and could plug him in with those already mentioned. The rumor is it will be a high school shortstop or pitcher Jackson Jobe. Those guys will be 2-4 seasons away. Stay tuned.
Unlike the NFL draft which is also a crap shoot, the MLB is nearly speculative gambling compared to football players who for the most part, have four years of big time experience. With MLB, high school kids are mixed in with the college players and it makes for spectacular finds and flaming misses.
Avila has made a market correction with his picks and has taken stock of all of his picks since 2014. Derek Hill, the first rounder in 2014 was promoted last year and sputtered badly and got another chance earlier this season. He quickly ended up on the injured list and is rehabbing in Toledo. The jury is out on Hill.
Avila also decided to take stock of his 2015 first round high school selection Beau Burrows. Burrows has largely floundered in the minors and his ceiling found him no higher than the mid minors. Avila cut bait with him earlier the season where the Cubs are trying to find a way to promote him to the big league club.
Casey Mize has the best arm in the Tigers organization and this 2018 first rounder was thrown into the fire last season and struggled. After a bumpy start in 2021, he has smoothed his stats out and is getting better to the point of being considered as Detroit's all-star representative, although it went to relief pitcher Gregory Soto.
The Tigers last two first rounders will most likely get the call next season. Spencer Torkelson, last years first rounder and Riley Greene, the outfielder taken in 2019 could see action late this season when the rosters expand.
Avila has little cash to spend on veterans and the minor leaguers are getting their trial by fire. Even if they sink in early promotions, both the organization and the players are getting great feedback.
Avila needs to keep the momentum going. His first round selection in 2021 will get a season or two in the minors and then its show time. I thought he might go with Jack Leiter, the mostly polished pitcher from Vanderbilt who is a senior and could plug him in with those already mentioned. The rumor is it will be a high school shortstop or pitcher Jackson Jobe. Those guys will be 2-4 seasons away. Stay tuned.
The demise of Kyle Busch is premature thank goodness!
What went well and not so well at Pocono
What went well and not so well at Pocono
First of all, a couple of exciting races at Pocono over the weekend. Usually, fuel mileage races are ... Boring. But for this past weekend, they were exciting. The multiple lead changes as cars gambled on a late caution that never came saw drivers that had a shot to win the race fall to a top-ten finish instead of lose valuable points and a 30th finish or worse. NASCAR had a winner of a weekend. They really listened both internally to new voices and the fans who wanted change and got it. Heck, if you are going to take racing dates away from Michigan, Pocono and others that had multiple weekends, then add a second race and some undercard races. Make the CUP races a little shorter and add a Truck or ARCA race in the morning. More on all of the NASCAR changes another time but the 2021 schedule has been a winner.
So, here are the winners from the Pocono weekend.
1. Kyle Busch. Kyle wondered if he was washed up at the top level with a long losing streak dating back to 2020. Well, he gambled and won in the second race. He was driving a wounded car with transmission issues and had to drive very smartly to stay near the lead. Think of your own car having only fourth gear and being stopped at a red light. The lack of a late caution turned Busch into a two-time winner this year.
-Alex Bowman-Bowman's career has always been tepid until taking over the #48 from the NASCAR HOF to be Jimmie Johnson. He has three wins this season to go along with 5 top fives and ten top tens. Bowman does have three DNF's this year.
- Kyle Larson won this weekend even though he did not score a win in either or the Pocono races. He was a half-lap short from winning his fifth race in a row when he ran out of gas and finished 8th. In the second race, he finished right behind Kyle Busch for a second place finish. How lucky for Hendrick Motorsports to have arguably the top two talents in the sport with Larson and Chase Elliott. This could be the best racing duel moving forward since Richard Petty and David Pearson dominated their sports.
The Bad- The bad is taking the week off this week.
So, here are the winners from the Pocono weekend.
1. Kyle Busch. Kyle wondered if he was washed up at the top level with a long losing streak dating back to 2020. Well, he gambled and won in the second race. He was driving a wounded car with transmission issues and had to drive very smartly to stay near the lead. Think of your own car having only fourth gear and being stopped at a red light. The lack of a late caution turned Busch into a two-time winner this year.
-Alex Bowman-Bowman's career has always been tepid until taking over the #48 from the NASCAR HOF to be Jimmie Johnson. He has three wins this season to go along with 5 top fives and ten top tens. Bowman does have three DNF's this year.
- Kyle Larson won this weekend even though he did not score a win in either or the Pocono races. He was a half-lap short from winning his fifth race in a row when he ran out of gas and finished 8th. In the second race, he finished right behind Kyle Busch for a second place finish. How lucky for Hendrick Motorsports to have arguably the top two talents in the sport with Larson and Chase Elliott. This could be the best racing duel moving forward since Richard Petty and David Pearson dominated their sports.
The Bad- The bad is taking the week off this week.
Cleveland, Ohio – Today the Mid-American Conference announced the All-MAC Teams & Specialty Award selections for the 2020 football season. All of the awards were voted on by the league's 12 head coaches.
Buffalo junior running back Jaret Patterson was tabbed the winner of the 39th Vern Smith Leadership Award as the top player in the MAC and was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Year. Buffalo Head Coach Lance Leipold was selected as the MAC Head Coach of the Year, while Central Michigan running back Lew Nichols III was named MAC Freshman of the Year. Ball State linebacker Brandon Martin and Central Michigan defensive end Troy Hairston IIshared MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors. Western Michigan senior wide receiver/kickoff returner D'Wayne "Dee" Eskridge was named MAC Special Teams Player of the Year.
Patterson is the first player in Buffalo program history to win the prestigious Vern Smith Leadership Award. He is just the second UB player to win MAC Offensive Player of the Year honors, joining former quarterback Tyree Jackson who won the award in 2018.Patterson has assembled a historic season through only five games. He leads the nation in rushing, averaging 203 yards per game and has scored 18 rushing touchdowns, third in the country. With 1,025 yards on the season, the junior running back became just the 12th player in FBS history to rush for 1,000 yards in the first five games of the year.
Leipold was named the MAC Coach of the Year for the second time in his career. He also won the award in 2018. Leipold has led Buffalo to a 5-0 record and a MAC East Division Championship. The Bulls lead the nation in scoring (51.8 ppg) and rushing yards per game (344.6). He is the first UB head coach to win the honor multiple times. Former head coach Turner Gill won the award in 2007.
Martin, who returned this year after sustaining a season-ending injury in the 2019 opener, ranks fourth nationally with 12.0 tackles per game. The redshirt junior from Indianapolis had 6.5 tackles for loss, including 5.0 in the past three games. Martin is the first Ball State player to win the defensive player of the year honor since Brad Maynard won it as a punter in 1996 and the first traditional defensive player to win the award for BSU since linebacker Greg Garnica did it three straight years from 1987-89.
Hairston leads the MAC in both sacks (5.5) and tackles-for-loss (12). Nationally, he ranks third in tackles-for-loss and 10th in sacks per game. Hairston is the third Chippewa to earn the MAC Defensive Player of the Year Award, joining Dan Bazuin (2005) and Ray Bentley (1982).
Eskridge was one of two players in the league with a kickoff return for a touchdown this season, while his 27.5 yards per kickoff return led the league among players with at least five returns. At receiver, Eskridge led the MAC in receiving yards (784), yards per game (130.7) and receiving touchdowns (eight). It marks the third time in the last five seasons a Bronco has collected Special Teams Player of the Year after Darius Phillips won it in 2016 and '17.
Nichols led the Chippewas with 508 yards rushing and he caught 10 passes for 109 yards and scored five touchdowns. He ranked seventh in the MAC in rushing yards per game (84.7) and was ninth in yards per carry (6.5). Nichols is the sixth Chippewa to earn the MAC Freshman of the Year Award and the first since Antonio Brown in 2007.
Buffalo junior running back Jaret Patterson was tabbed the winner of the 39th Vern Smith Leadership Award as the top player in the MAC and was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Year. Buffalo Head Coach Lance Leipold was selected as the MAC Head Coach of the Year, while Central Michigan running back Lew Nichols III was named MAC Freshman of the Year. Ball State linebacker Brandon Martin and Central Michigan defensive end Troy Hairston IIshared MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors. Western Michigan senior wide receiver/kickoff returner D'Wayne "Dee" Eskridge was named MAC Special Teams Player of the Year.
Patterson is the first player in Buffalo program history to win the prestigious Vern Smith Leadership Award. He is just the second UB player to win MAC Offensive Player of the Year honors, joining former quarterback Tyree Jackson who won the award in 2018.Patterson has assembled a historic season through only five games. He leads the nation in rushing, averaging 203 yards per game and has scored 18 rushing touchdowns, third in the country. With 1,025 yards on the season, the junior running back became just the 12th player in FBS history to rush for 1,000 yards in the first five games of the year.
Leipold was named the MAC Coach of the Year for the second time in his career. He also won the award in 2018. Leipold has led Buffalo to a 5-0 record and a MAC East Division Championship. The Bulls lead the nation in scoring (51.8 ppg) and rushing yards per game (344.6). He is the first UB head coach to win the honor multiple times. Former head coach Turner Gill won the award in 2007.
Martin, who returned this year after sustaining a season-ending injury in the 2019 opener, ranks fourth nationally with 12.0 tackles per game. The redshirt junior from Indianapolis had 6.5 tackles for loss, including 5.0 in the past three games. Martin is the first Ball State player to win the defensive player of the year honor since Brad Maynard won it as a punter in 1996 and the first traditional defensive player to win the award for BSU since linebacker Greg Garnica did it three straight years from 1987-89.
Hairston leads the MAC in both sacks (5.5) and tackles-for-loss (12). Nationally, he ranks third in tackles-for-loss and 10th in sacks per game. Hairston is the third Chippewa to earn the MAC Defensive Player of the Year Award, joining Dan Bazuin (2005) and Ray Bentley (1982).
Eskridge was one of two players in the league with a kickoff return for a touchdown this season, while his 27.5 yards per kickoff return led the league among players with at least five returns. At receiver, Eskridge led the MAC in receiving yards (784), yards per game (130.7) and receiving touchdowns (eight). It marks the third time in the last five seasons a Bronco has collected Special Teams Player of the Year after Darius Phillips won it in 2016 and '17.
Nichols led the Chippewas with 508 yards rushing and he caught 10 passes for 109 yards and scored five touchdowns. He ranked seventh in the MAC in rushing yards per game (84.7) and was ninth in yards per carry (6.5). Nichols is the sixth Chippewa to earn the MAC Freshman of the Year Award and the first since Antonio Brown in 2007.
TIGER WOODS ANNOUNCES FLINT NATIVE WILLIE MACK III AS RECIPIENT OF THE 2021 CHARLIE SIFFORD MEMORIAL EXEMPTION
LOS ANGELES – Tournament Host Tiger Woods announced Willie Mack III as the recipient of the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption into the 2021 Genesis Invitational field. Awarded since 2009, the exemption represents the advancement of diversity in the game of golf.
“Willie learned to golf with his dad just like I did and those are memories that will last forever. I am excited to see Willie make another lasting memory when he tees it up at Riviera,” Woods said. “Willie has endured through difficult times off the course the past few years and I know Charlie would be proud of how he has stayed focused on achieving his dream.”
Mack, a native of Flint, MI, played college golf at Bethune-Cookman winning 11 titles as a Wildcat. In 2011, Mack became the first African American to win the Michigan Amateur Championship. Mack currently competes on the Advocates Pro Golf Association (APGA) Tour and Florida Professional Golf Tour, earning Player of the Year honors for both tours in 2019.
“I want to thank my father who introduced me to the great game of golf,” Mack said. “My dream since I first picked up a club has been to play on the PGA TOUR. It’s really special that I will play in my first PGA TOUR event because of an exemption named after Charlie Sifford, a person I’ve long admired, and in a tournament hosted by Tiger Woods, who is the reason I got into golf.”
The start at Riviera during the 2021 Genesis Invitational will be Mack’s first on the PGA TOUR. Mack has previously played on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Tour.
Since 2009, the exemption has been given to a golfer representing a minority background to play in the annual PGA TOUR event at Riviera. In 2017, the exemption was re-named to honor the memory of Charlie Sifford, the first African American player to compete on the PGA TOUR. Previous exemption recipients include Vincent Johnson (2009), Joshua Wooding (2010), Joseph Bramlett (2011 & 2020), Andy Walker (2012), Jeremiah Wooding (2013), Harold Varner III (2014), Carlos Sainz, Jr. (2015), J.J. Spaun (2016), Kevin M. Hall (2017), Cameron Champ (2018) and Tim O’Neal (2019).
The 2021 Genesis Invitational will be held February 15-21 and broadcast on GOLF Channel and CBS. To enhance the fan experience at home, the tournament is excited to offer games, activities and more to keep viewers engaged with the tournament while watching. Also the Genesis Invitational is taking its family village virtual in 2021 with digital activities, challenges, education resources and more for kids ages 5-12. These fan enhancement elements will be available on GenesisInvitational.com in the coming weeks. About The Genesis Invitational
One of the most historic and longest-running events on the PGA TOUR, The Genesis Invitational celebrates its 95th playing, February 15-21, 2021, at historic Riviera Country Club. With TGR Live serving as the event management company for The Genesis Invitational, the primary benefiting charity is TGR Foundation, with proceeds from the event supporting the foundation’s education programs in Southern California. The tournament’s title sponsor is Genesis, a global luxury automotive brand that delivers the highest standards of performance, design and innovation. For more information about The Ge
About TGR Live, A Tiger Woods Venture
For more than 20 years, TGR Live has exclusively organized and managed fundraising events supporting the TGR Foundation. It focuses solely on creating amazing experiences for the foundation’s clients at world-class events. TGR Live provides a variety of services including hospitality management, public relations and marketing, tournament operations, and sponsor sales at PGA TOUR and signature events which benefit the foundation. While many TGR Live events are televised, TGR Live does not provide TV or video production. For more information, visit TGRLive.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @TGRLiveEvents.
“Willie learned to golf with his dad just like I did and those are memories that will last forever. I am excited to see Willie make another lasting memory when he tees it up at Riviera,” Woods said. “Willie has endured through difficult times off the course the past few years and I know Charlie would be proud of how he has stayed focused on achieving his dream.”
Mack, a native of Flint, MI, played college golf at Bethune-Cookman winning 11 titles as a Wildcat. In 2011, Mack became the first African American to win the Michigan Amateur Championship. Mack currently competes on the Advocates Pro Golf Association (APGA) Tour and Florida Professional Golf Tour, earning Player of the Year honors for both tours in 2019.
“I want to thank my father who introduced me to the great game of golf,” Mack said. “My dream since I first picked up a club has been to play on the PGA TOUR. It’s really special that I will play in my first PGA TOUR event because of an exemption named after Charlie Sifford, a person I’ve long admired, and in a tournament hosted by Tiger Woods, who is the reason I got into golf.”
The start at Riviera during the 2021 Genesis Invitational will be Mack’s first on the PGA TOUR. Mack has previously played on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Tour.
Since 2009, the exemption has been given to a golfer representing a minority background to play in the annual PGA TOUR event at Riviera. In 2017, the exemption was re-named to honor the memory of Charlie Sifford, the first African American player to compete on the PGA TOUR. Previous exemption recipients include Vincent Johnson (2009), Joshua Wooding (2010), Joseph Bramlett (2011 & 2020), Andy Walker (2012), Jeremiah Wooding (2013), Harold Varner III (2014), Carlos Sainz, Jr. (2015), J.J. Spaun (2016), Kevin M. Hall (2017), Cameron Champ (2018) and Tim O’Neal (2019).
The 2021 Genesis Invitational will be held February 15-21 and broadcast on GOLF Channel and CBS. To enhance the fan experience at home, the tournament is excited to offer games, activities and more to keep viewers engaged with the tournament while watching. Also the Genesis Invitational is taking its family village virtual in 2021 with digital activities, challenges, education resources and more for kids ages 5-12. These fan enhancement elements will be available on GenesisInvitational.com in the coming weeks. About The Genesis Invitational
One of the most historic and longest-running events on the PGA TOUR, The Genesis Invitational celebrates its 95th playing, February 15-21, 2021, at historic Riviera Country Club. With TGR Live serving as the event management company for The Genesis Invitational, the primary benefiting charity is TGR Foundation, with proceeds from the event supporting the foundation’s education programs in Southern California. The tournament’s title sponsor is Genesis, a global luxury automotive brand that delivers the highest standards of performance, design and innovation. For more information about The Ge
About TGR Live, A Tiger Woods Venture
For more than 20 years, TGR Live has exclusively organized and managed fundraising events supporting the TGR Foundation. It focuses solely on creating amazing experiences for the foundation’s clients at world-class events. TGR Live provides a variety of services including hospitality management, public relations and marketing, tournament operations, and sponsor sales at PGA TOUR and signature events which benefit the foundation. While many TGR Live events are televised, TGR Live does not provide TV or video production. For more information, visit TGRLive.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @TGRLiveEvents.
Caledonia's Brett White aiming for wire-to-wire win at Michigan Open
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Acme — Brett White is one day from a wire-to-wire win at the Michigan Open.
White, a left-hander from Caledonia in west Michigan, shot a 1-under 71 and was at 9 under for a one-shot lead on The Bear course at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa.
White has led after each of the first three rounds.
"I’ve never led a tournament wire-to-wire yet, but I’ll go out tomorrow and do it,” said White, 27.
A shot back was Chad Kurmel, 49, a teaching pro from Forest Akers at Michigan State in East Lansing. He shot a 5-under 67 on Wednesday.
Three back were defending champion Eric Lilleboe (71) of Okemos and 2020 Michigan PGA Professional champion Ben Cook (73) of Wayland. Cook played in the PGA Championship last month.
White, a left-hander from Caledonia in west Michigan, shot a 1-under 71 and was at 9 under for a one-shot lead on The Bear course at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa.
White has led after each of the first three rounds.
"I’ve never led a tournament wire-to-wire yet, but I’ll go out tomorrow and do it,” said White, 27.
A shot back was Chad Kurmel, 49, a teaching pro from Forest Akers at Michigan State in East Lansing. He shot a 5-under 67 on Wednesday.
Three back were defending champion Eric Lilleboe (71) of Okemos and 2020 Michigan PGA Professional champion Ben Cook (73) of Wayland. Cook played in the PGA Championship last month.
It’s not the homecoming Erik Jones expected.
Just days before NASCAR returned to the Wolverine State for this weekend’s races at Michigan Speedway, word leaked on the internet that the 24-year-old’s contract would not be renewed at Joe Gibbs Racing.
JGR confirmed the story later Thursday night. Christopher Bell, his fellow Toyota development driver, is expected to replace Jones in the No. 20 team in 2021.
“I greatly appreciate the opportunity that JGR provided me with over the last four years and I wish the team nothing but success and good fortune,” Jones said in the team release. “JGR gave me a solid foundation from which to go out and compete at the highest level and I look forward to building on that in the years to come.”
The Byron, Michigan, racer, the first in a long and tremendously successful list of Toyota proteges, executed the perfect audition when he was just 16 by beating Kyle Busch in the 2012 Snowball Derby at 5 Flags Speedway. Soon after, Jones was recruited by Toyota.
Jones’ meteoric rise through the NASCAR ranks included wins in ARCA and then in the Truck Series—in his fifth start. He was both the youngest driver to win his first race and the championship in the Gander RV & Outdoors Trucks Series, at ages 17 and 19, respectively. His truck title came during his first full season on the tour.
Nine races into his Xfinity Series experience, Jones won from the pole at Texas Motor Speedway in the 2015 spring race. The following week, he was recruited to sub for an ailing Denny Hamlin at in the No. 11 Cup car after Hamlin suffered neck spasms during a lengthy rain delay at Bristol. Two years later, Jones graduated to a second car at Furniture Row Racing. The situation was far from ideal. Still, in a freshman class that included Daniel Suarez, Ty Dillon and Corey LaJoie, Jones won 2017 rookie honors handily.
Once he joined the JGR fold in 2018, Jones scored his first Cup win at the July Daytona race. He doubled his top-five results, finished half of his starts in the top 10 and qualified for the Playoffs. In 2019, Jones won again—this time in the prestigious Southern 500 at Darlington—and earned a one-year extension on his contract, even though Bell waiting in the wings as the next young, hot prospect in the Toyota camp.
Although Jones started the 2020 season by winning the Busch Clash at Daytona, he’s currently 18th in the standings after five top fives and eight top 10s in 20 starts. Since joining JGR, Jones has been overshadowed by veteran teammates Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin. His results were better than those of Daniel Suarez during their two seasons together at JGR. Though Busch has yet to win in 2020, Hamlin has won a fourth of this year’s Cup races. Martin Truex Jr. won at Martinsville in June.
Sure, Jones has endured his share of bad luck. But compared with some of his 20-something peers on the Cup tour, Jones has more top-five and top-10 finishes than Alex Bowman, Matt DiBenedetto, William Byron, Tyler Reddick, Austin Dillon or Bell.
Certainly, Bell is a once-in-a-generational talent in whom Toyota has invested handsomely. Under the direction of Jason Ratcliff, who also guided Jones earlier in his career, Bell has made gains in the No. 95 Toyota. His true potential won't become evident until he's under JGR’s roof.
Perennially, there has been a stark contrast between Jones and the other top Gibbs’ drivers in equal equipment. When drivers such as Carl Edwards or Matt Kenseth entered the stable, both were able to hold their own and win immediately.
That’s not to say that Jones won’t flourish in a different environment, as Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick or Kyle Busch did when they left their previous employers for a fresh start. I would bet on it.
While Bubba Wallace is the frontrunner for the No. 42 Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, and LaJoie appears headed to the No. 37 JTG Daugherty team, and the replacement plans for the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports seat have yet to be determined, Jones could enter any of those situations and make a significant difference.
Just days before NASCAR returned to the Wolverine State for this weekend’s races at Michigan Speedway, word leaked on the internet that the 24-year-old’s contract would not be renewed at Joe Gibbs Racing.
JGR confirmed the story later Thursday night. Christopher Bell, his fellow Toyota development driver, is expected to replace Jones in the No. 20 team in 2021.
“I greatly appreciate the opportunity that JGR provided me with over the last four years and I wish the team nothing but success and good fortune,” Jones said in the team release. “JGR gave me a solid foundation from which to go out and compete at the highest level and I look forward to building on that in the years to come.”
The Byron, Michigan, racer, the first in a long and tremendously successful list of Toyota proteges, executed the perfect audition when he was just 16 by beating Kyle Busch in the 2012 Snowball Derby at 5 Flags Speedway. Soon after, Jones was recruited by Toyota.
Jones’ meteoric rise through the NASCAR ranks included wins in ARCA and then in the Truck Series—in his fifth start. He was both the youngest driver to win his first race and the championship in the Gander RV & Outdoors Trucks Series, at ages 17 and 19, respectively. His truck title came during his first full season on the tour.
Nine races into his Xfinity Series experience, Jones won from the pole at Texas Motor Speedway in the 2015 spring race. The following week, he was recruited to sub for an ailing Denny Hamlin at in the No. 11 Cup car after Hamlin suffered neck spasms during a lengthy rain delay at Bristol. Two years later, Jones graduated to a second car at Furniture Row Racing. The situation was far from ideal. Still, in a freshman class that included Daniel Suarez, Ty Dillon and Corey LaJoie, Jones won 2017 rookie honors handily.
Once he joined the JGR fold in 2018, Jones scored his first Cup win at the July Daytona race. He doubled his top-five results, finished half of his starts in the top 10 and qualified for the Playoffs. In 2019, Jones won again—this time in the prestigious Southern 500 at Darlington—and earned a one-year extension on his contract, even though Bell waiting in the wings as the next young, hot prospect in the Toyota camp.
Although Jones started the 2020 season by winning the Busch Clash at Daytona, he’s currently 18th in the standings after five top fives and eight top 10s in 20 starts. Since joining JGR, Jones has been overshadowed by veteran teammates Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin. His results were better than those of Daniel Suarez during their two seasons together at JGR. Though Busch has yet to win in 2020, Hamlin has won a fourth of this year’s Cup races. Martin Truex Jr. won at Martinsville in June.
Sure, Jones has endured his share of bad luck. But compared with some of his 20-something peers on the Cup tour, Jones has more top-five and top-10 finishes than Alex Bowman, Matt DiBenedetto, William Byron, Tyler Reddick, Austin Dillon or Bell.
Certainly, Bell is a once-in-a-generational talent in whom Toyota has invested handsomely. Under the direction of Jason Ratcliff, who also guided Jones earlier in his career, Bell has made gains in the No. 95 Toyota. His true potential won't become evident until he's under JGR’s roof.
Perennially, there has been a stark contrast between Jones and the other top Gibbs’ drivers in equal equipment. When drivers such as Carl Edwards or Matt Kenseth entered the stable, both were able to hold their own and win immediately.
That’s not to say that Jones won’t flourish in a different environment, as Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick or Kyle Busch did when they left their previous employers for a fresh start. I would bet on it.
While Bubba Wallace is the frontrunner for the No. 42 Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, and LaJoie appears headed to the No. 37 JTG Daugherty team, and the replacement plans for the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports seat have yet to be determined, Jones could enter any of those situations and make a significant difference.